SSCP vs Security+: which security certification should you take?
SSCP vs Security+: take CompTIA Security+, an entry-level security certification, if you have no security job yet, and choose the SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) once you have a year of hands-on security work. Security+ has no experience rule. ISC2, the membership body that awards the SSCP, asks for that year before you can hold it.
On Adzuna, a job-ad search site, we counted 8,110 US security-analyst ads in October 2026. The phrase comptia security, our search for Security+, appeared in 112 of the 8,110 ads, and the abbreviation sscp in 46 of the 8,110. The two phrases are searched differently, so read each count on its own.
| CompTIA Security+ | SSCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Awarded by | CompTIA | ISC2 |
| Work needed to hold it | None; CompTIA recommends Network+ (its networking certification) and two years in a security or systems-administrator job | One year, full-time or part-time equivalent, in at least one of seven domains (topic areas); a computer science or IT degree may cover it |
| Exam | Up to 90 questions, multiple-choice and performance-based, 90 minutes | Adaptive, 100 to 125 items, 2 hours |
| Passing score | 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 | 700 out of 1,000 |
| Exam languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai | English, Japanese, Spanish |
| Exam fee, US | $439 | $249 |
| Kept valid by | 50 continuing education units (CEUs) and a $150 fee every three years | 60 continuing professional education (CPE) credits every three years and a $135 yearly fee |
Source: CompTIA Security+ and continuing-education pages; ISC2 SSCP page, exam outline, experience requirements and fee policies (the yearly fee is ISC2's annual maintenance fee, AMF). All read October 11, 2026.
A performance-based question asks you to do a task in a simulated system. An adaptive exam picks each question from your earlier answers. CEUs and CPE credits are logged hours of training or work that keep a certification active.
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA Security+ | SSCP |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 5% | 2% |
| India | 3% | 1% |
| United States | 1.4% | 46 of 8,110 |
| Brazil | 2 of 434 | 0 of 434 |
CompTIA Security+ or SSCP: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
CompTIA Security+ is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
- Which one fits where you are now?
- SSCP vs CompTIA Security+: what each exam tests
- Who can take each exam, and who can hold the credential?
- What do security-analyst ads say about each one?
- How much do Security+ and the SSCP cost over three years?
- How do you keep each one?
- Is the SSCP harder than Security+?
- Do Security+ and the SSCP shorten the path to the CISSP?
- Should you wait for Security+ V8?
- SSCP vs Security+ on Reddit: what do posters ask?
- What we did not check
- Sources
Which one fits where you are now?
Your security experience decides it, because Security+ asks for none and the SSCP asks for a year.
- No IT or security job yet: start with Security+, which has no experience rule. Before you buy a voucher (a prepaid exam code), pick ten current security-analyst postings near you and write down which of the two each one mentions. If Security+ shows up, buy the voucher; if neither is named, the ads ask for something else, so read our cybersecurity analyst page first.
- In IT support or systems administration, with under a year of security tasks: Security+ is the one you can hold now. Plan the SSCP for when the year is in, or pass it early as an Associate of ISC2 (someone who passed but still needs the experience).
- A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, IT or a related field: ISC2 says the degree may satisfy the SSCP's whole year, so the SSCP may be open to you without a security job. ISC2 reviews your experience application after you pass.
- A year or more of hands-on security work: either fits. Let the ads for the job you want decide, and keep reading for cost and renewal.
- Already hold Security+: the SSCP adds no extra year toward the CISSP (ISC2's senior certification, which needs five years of work), so take it only if the ads you target name it.
- Comparing Security+ with a networking route (CCNA, Cisco's networking certification): our CCNA vs Security+ comparison covers that choice.
SSCP vs CompTIA Security+: what each exam tests
Security+ spreads its questions across five domains, with security operations the largest. The SSCP spreads them across seven domains, each worth 9% to 16%.
| Security+ domain (exam SY0-701, the current exam code) | Weight |
|---|---|
| General security concepts | 12% |
| Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations | 22% |
| Security architecture | 18% |
| Security operations | 28% |
| Security program management and oversight | 20% |
| SSCP domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Security Concepts and Practices | 16% |
| Access Controls | 15% |
| Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis | 15% |
| Incident Response and Recovery | 14% |
| Cryptography | 9% |
| Network and Communications Security | 16% |
| Systems and Application Security | 15% |
Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 exam page and ISC2 SSCP exam outline (effective October 1, 2025).
Our reading: the SSCP gives cryptography and access control domains of their own, while Security+ gives security operations its largest domain and has a separate domain for running a security program. We compared domain names and weights only, not the full objectives of Security+.
Show the numbers
| Item | CompTIA Security+ | SSCP |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 90 questions | 100–125 questions |
| Exam time | 90 minutes (1 h 30 min) | 120 minutes (2 h) |
| Passing score | 750 (scale 100–900) | 700 of 1,000 |
| Format | Multiple choice, performance-based tasks | Multiple choice, adaptive testing |
| Languages | 5 languages | 3 languages |
Who can take each exam, and who can hold the credential?
You can sit either exam without prior security experience. The difference comes after the pass: Security+ has no experience rule, while the SSCP needs proof of a year of work.
Security+: no experience rule
CompTIA lists no prerequisite. It recommends Network+ and two years in a security or systems-administrator job, but neither is required.
SSCP: one year of security work
ISC2 asks for at least one year of full-time work in one or more of the seven SSCP domains. Part-time work of 20 to 34 hours a week counts: 2,080 part-time hours equal 12 months of full-time work. A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, IT or a related field may satisfy up to one year, which is the whole requirement.
If you pass without the year, you become an Associate of ISC2 and have two years to earn it. Associates pay a $50 yearly fee and log 15 CPE credits a year. When the experience is approved, the member pays the $85 difference to reach the full $135 fee.
ISC2's SSCP experience page names a degree as the only substitute for work. We found no ISC2 rule that lets Security+ count toward the SSCP year.
What do security-analyst ads say about each one?
Both credentials show up in security-analyst ads, counted with two phrases written in different ways. We search Adzuna by job title and count an ad when its text contains the phrase, whether it is listed as required, preferred or one option among several. An ad can contain both phrases.
comptia securityfor Security+. Adzuna's search ignores the plus sign, so the phrase matches any ad with the words CompTIA Security, including other CompTIA names that start the same way. Ads that write only Security+ or Sec+, without the word CompTIA, are missed.sscpfor the SSCP. The abbreviation only, so ads that spell out the full name alone are missed.
Both counts are minimums. Because the phrases are built differently, read each column against its own total, not against the other column.
| Country | Security-analyst ads | Containing comptia security |
Containing sscp |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8,110 | 112 | 46 |
| United Kingdom | 235 | 12 | 5 |
| India | 250 | 8 | 3 |
| Brazil | 434 | 2 | 0 |
Source: Adzuna API, security-analyst ads collected in October 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt. Method. Brazilian searches use the Portuguese title analista de segurança with the English phrases, so those counts are a floor.
We also counted ads for SOC analysts (SOC: security operations center, the team that watches for attacks). Of the 233 US SOC-analyst ads on Adzuna in October 2026, 17 contained comptia security and 9 contained sscp. In US IT-support ads, the phrase comptia security appeared in 34 of the 2,745 ads in the same month; we do not count the SSCP for that title. Our pages on cybersecurity analysts, SOC analysts and IT support list what else those ads name.
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM | 415 | 5.1% |
| CISSP | 338 | 4.2% |
| CompTIA | 162 | 2.0% |
| CISM | 134 | 1.7% |
| CompTIA CySA+ | 119 | 1.5% |
| CompTIA Security+ | 112 | 1.4% |
| Splunk | 100 | 1.2% |
| CEH | 81 | 81 of 8,110 |
| SSCP | 46 | 46 of 8,110 |
How much do Security+ and the SSCP cost over three years?
With one exam attempt at US prices, Security+ comes to $589 over its first three-year cycle and the SSCP to $654.
| Item | Security+ | SSCP |
|---|---|---|
| Exam, one attempt | $439 voucher | $249 |
| Upkeep | $150 CE fee, once per three-year cycle | $135 annual maintenance fee x 3 years = $405 |
| Three-year total | $589 | $654 |
Source: CompTIA store and continuing-education fee page; ISC2 SSCP page and AMF overview, as listed in Sources.
Security+ adds up as the $439 voucher plus the $150 CE fee. The SSCP adds up as the $249 exam plus three yearly fees of $135, which come to $405. The annual maintenance fee (AMF) is ISC2's yearly charge for holders. We did not confirm when the first one falls due, so the SSCP total assumes three payments in the first three years; as an Associate you would pay $50 a year instead.
Retake options cost more. CompTIA sells a Retake Assurance version of the Security+ voucher for $579. ISC2 sells the SSCP with Peace of Mind Protection, a second try within 180 days, for $328. In Europe, CompTIA's store showed €323 for Security+, and ISC2's pricing page showed €239.04 for the SSCP (£201.69 in the UK).
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| CompTIA Security+: Fees to get certified: Exam | $439 |
| CompTIA Security+: Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
| SSCP: Fees to get certified: Exam | $249 |
| SSCP: Fees to get certified: Annual fee, $135 a year × 3 years | $405 |
How do you keep each one?
Both run on three-year cycles. Security+ can be renewed in three ways. First, 50 CEUs and the $150 fee per cycle. Second, one CertMaster CE course (CompTIA's single-activity renewal option), whose fee we did not check. Third, earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, with no CE fee for Security+. The SSCP needs 60 CPE credits per cycle, about 20 a year, plus the $135 fee every year. Associates pay $50 a year instead.
If your Security+ will expire before you finish a degree or land a security job, those are the three ways to keep it.
Is the SSCP harder than Security+?
Neither CompTIA nor ISC2 publishes a pass rate on the pages we read, so no official figure answers this. The SSCP exam is longer, two hours against 90 minutes, and adaptive. Security+ includes hands-on performance-based questions.
Do Security+ and the SSCP shorten the path to the CISSP?
Yes, by one year, whichever you hold. The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is ISC2's senior credential and needs five years of cumulative, full-time work in two or more of its eight domains. ISC2's approved list for its one-year experience waiver (an exemption from one of the five years) names both CompTIA Security+ and the SSCP.
ISC2 allows only one waiver, and a degree and a credential cannot be combined. Holding both, or holding one plus a computer science degree, still removes only one year. ISC2 revised the list on April 1, 2026. For the next step, see our CISSP vs SSCP and CISSP vs Security+ comparisons and the CISSP page.
Should you wait for Security+ V8?
CompTIA expects Security+ V8 (exam SY0-801) on or around November 17, 2026, with up to 90 questions, 90 minutes and the same 750 passing score. The current SY0-701 exam stays available in English until June 11, 2027, so if you are booking now there is no need to wait. Check the exam objectives for the date you plan to sit, and study from material for that version. The SSCP moved to its adaptive format on October 1, 2025, with the same seven domains.
SSCP vs Security+ on Reddit: what do posters ask?
None of the question groups in the posts we collected set the two side by side. The questions were about which certification to take first, whether to wait for the new Security+ version and whether the SSCP helps toward the CISSP. Reddit posters are a self-selected group, so read these as experiences, not statistics.
- The same ground from a different body. In a thread on r/sysadmin, one commenter suggested the SSCP and called it basically just the ISC2 flavour of Security+ (r/sysadmin). The domain tables in what each exam tests show where the outlines meet and where they part.
- Where you take the exam. On r/CompTIA, a poster wrote that they prefer online unless required to take it in person (like SSCP) (r/CompTIA). ISC2's SSCP outline names in-person test centers.
- Network+ or a degree before Security+. A poster with a bachelor's degree in information systems asked whether to start with Network+ or Security+ (r/CompTIA). CompTIA recommends Network+ but does not require it, and for the SSCP such a degree may count as the year of experience.
- The CISSP as the goal. On r/cissp, a poster who failed a first CISSP attempt weighed the CGRC (ISC2's governance, risk and compliance certification) against the SSCP as a step before trying again (r/cissp). The SSCP is on ISC2's waiver list; we did not check the CGRC.
What we did not check
- Pass rates and salary. Neither vendor publishes pass rates on the pages we read, and we found no dated, official pay data for holders of either credential.
- Online testing. We did not confirm whether either exam can be taken online from home.
- US government jobs. We did not check which DoD 8140 work roles (the US Defense Department's rule on qualifications for its cyber staff) accept either credential.
- CertMaster CE fee. We did not check what the CertMaster CE renewal course costs; the $150 fee in the tables is for the CEU route.
- The first AMF date. ISC2's fee pages did not show when the first yearly fee falls due for a new SSCP holder.
- Study resources. We do not rate courses, books or practice tests for either exam.
Sources
All pages below were read October 11, 2026.
- CompTIA: Security+ V7 (SY0-701), Security+ V8, Security+ Europe store, certification renewal policy, earning CEUs, CE renewal fees, CE program FAQ.
- ISC2: SSCP page, SSCP exam outline, SSCP experience requirements, exam pricing, AMF overview, member policies, CISSP experience requirements, CISSP experience waiver updates.
- Job ads: Adzuna API, October 2026, security-analyst, SOC-analyst and IT-support ads; phrases
comptia securityandsscp. Analysis: CertWorthIt. Method. - Reddit: posts and comments collected from r/cissp, r/CompTIA and r/sysadmin, linked where cited.
Questions people ask
SSCP vs Sec+: is the SSCP harder than Security+?
No official figure settles it: neither CompTIA nor ISC2 publishes a pass rate on the pages we read on October 11, 2026. The exams differ in format. CompTIA Security+ (Sec+) has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, some of them performance-based (tasks in a simulated system), and needs 750 on a 100 to 900 scale. The SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) is adaptive, meaning each question is picked from your earlier answers, with 100 to 125 items in two hours and 700 out of 1,000 to pass. The bigger hurdle for the SSCP is the year of security work ISC2 asks for before you can hold it.
SSCP certification vs Security+: which should I take first?
With no security job yet, take CompTIA Security+ first: CompTIA sets no experience requirement for it. The SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) fits once you have one year of hands-on security work, or a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, IT or a related field, which ISC2 says may cover that year. You can pass the SSCP exam earlier and become an Associate of ISC2, a status with two years to gain the experience.
Does Security+ count toward the SSCP or the CISSP experience?
For the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), yes: CompTIA Security+ is on ISC2's approved list that can replace one of the five required years. For the SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner), ISC2's experience page names only a degree as a substitute, and we found no rule that lets Security+ count. The SSCP is on the same CISSP list, but ISC2 allows one waiver only, so holding both still removes just one CISSP year.
How much do Security+ and the SSCP cost to get and keep?
Over a first three-year cycle with one exam attempt at US prices checked October 11, 2026, CompTIA Security+ comes to $589: the $439 exam voucher (a prepaid exam code) plus the $150 continuing-education fee. The SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) comes to $654: the $249 exam plus three annual maintenance fees of $135, which add up to $405. Study material and retakes are extra.
Do security-analyst job ads name Security+ or the SSCP?
In the US, both appear. We counted 8,110 US security-analyst ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, in October 2026. The phrase comptia security, our search for CompTIA Security+, appeared in 112 of the 8,110 of them. The abbreviation sscp, for the Systems Security Certified Practitioner, appeared in 46 of the 8,110. The two phrases are searched in different ways, so the counts are minimums and not a ranking.
Can I take the SSCP with no experience?
You can take the SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) exam, but you cannot hold the credential yet. A pass without the required year makes you an Associate of ISC2, with two years to earn one year of security work. ISC2's member policies, read October 11, 2026, set a $50 yearly fee and 15 continuing-education credits a year for Associates. Part-time work of 20 to 34 hours a week counts toward the year.